Beyond Sacred
by the.drizzling.rain
Summary: When Bella's old friends from Phoenix come for a surprise visit, Edward and the Cullens are shocked to find she isn't the innocent and naive girl they thought they knew... Badass!Bella OOC!Bella
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, everyone! This idea came to me while browsing all the Twilight fanfiction on here, and I decided to whip this baby up right here to see what ya'll think. :) Don't be shy, leave a review! _

_I apologize if third person bothers any one of you guys, since I've noticed that most of the fanfic on here is in first; I'm sorry, but I don't know if you'd want to write anything I wrote in first person - not to mention I absolutely hate writing it. So... yeah. And if you see anything that needs fixing, as I do not own a copy of either the book or the movie, and am mostly going off of memory and what I've read on here recently, just lemme know in a review. :P_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, including the characters and story line of Twilight, or Guns 'N Roses or any of their songs. _

_Warning: Slight language (mostly in later chapters), OOC!Bella_

* * *

~ Chapter One ~

Bella sighed, running a hand through her long brown hair before brushing strands of it behind a pierced ear. She was dead on her feet, and would have gladly keeled over had she not been firmly seated at her desk in her seventh period History class. The ever dull Mr. Scott droned on about some King Henry and his "numerous wives"; Bella could recall something about an heir, but that was about it.

Out of all her classes, History had to be the worst. Who cared about something that happened a hundred years ago? Bella certainly didn't.

Her chocolate brown eyes shifted from the bespectacled teacher to the clock above the doorway, reading a time of 2:15. Five minutes to go. Five incredibly _painful_ minutes.

"... King Henry then died in 1547, and his son, Edward, took the crown..."

So.

_Boring_.

Suppressing a groan, Bella resisted the urge to bang her head against the edge of her desk in hopes of making it _stop_. Then again, she mused dryly, that probably wasn't the best of ideas; she had a killer headache already. Mr. Scott's nasally voice dominated the otherwise silent classroom, only interrupted by the periodic snoring of her fellow classmates or the small cries of dying brain cells...

The bell rang, giving several students an unwelcome wake up call; the boy sitting beside her jolted, drool running down his cheek while he mumbled incoherently. Bella paid the boy no mind and pumped her fist in the air, her day getting phenomenally better in the short thirty seconds that had passed since the bell. She slid out of her seat and gathered her things, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She smiled at the thought of seeing Edward. It was one of those rare, sunny days in Forks, Washington, the kind that the Cullens would be forced to stay out of school for. Or, as the majority of the student body thought, out _camping_. Bella sniggered. Honestly, try as she might, she was forever unable to visualize her boyfriend _camping_.

Bella pulled the class door open, and walked into the clearing hallway. The small amount of students attending Forks High School didn't take long to get out the front door, especially on a Friday. Not to mention the sun was a definite bonus.

Avoiding the few teens left, she descended the stairs, careful not to trip over her own two feet. Exiting through the door nearest to the parking lot, Bella waltzed towards her old truck. Wielding her keys, she unlocked it with a click and clambered inside, slamming the door shut after her. Switching on the radio Edward had installed for her, she started up the truck with a grin, the engine beginning to purr softly. Static buzzed from the speakers, and Bella reached over to adjust the dial. Stations whizzed by, none peaking her interest.

"-_I wanna scream and shou_-"

"-_bulletproof, nothing to lose_-"

"-_never, ever, getting back toge_-"

Shutting off the radio with an unimpressed snort, Bella opened the passenger seat glove box to reveal a hidden stash of discs. Sifting through them, she ultimately decided on one titled _Appetite for Destruction__, _a Guns 'N Roses album. Opening the case, she popped it in the slot, and tossed the empty case on the seat beside her. Bella, waiting for the music to begin, put the truck into gear. Turning all the way around in order to see past the rear window, Bella hit the gas and backed out from her parking spot.

The steady thrum of a guitar erupted from the speaker, soon joined by another, each complimenting the other perfectly.

_She's got a smile that it seems to me  
Reminds of childhood memories  
Where everything  
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky  
Now and then when I see her face  
She takes me away to a special place  
And if I stared too long  
I'd probably break down and cry_

Bella's brown hair bobbed as she nodded her head to the rhythm of the song, tapping her delicate fingers on the thin steering wheel as she did so. Driving out into the road, she began to sing along, her voice warbling slightly out of key. Bella never played this kind of music around Edward - mostly, she guessed, because she never had a chance to remember. Her taste in music had to be the last thing on her mind when in the company of her boyfriend.

Pulling into the driveway of her and Charlie's house, Bella slapped her hand down on the CD player, shutting it off before the final track had ended. Smiling to herself, she removed the keys and got out, making sure to lock it before heading to the front door.

Shaking the doorknob experimentally, Bella determined that Charlie was still at work, before remembering the short note that had been left at her bedside that had told her just that. Holding up a different key this time, she unlocked the door and entered, tossing her backpack carelessly to the side and making a bee line for the kitchen; she was starved.

Stomach rumbling, Bella pulled the fridge door open and grabbed last night's leftovers, unwilling to make anything new. Elbowing it closed, Bella sat at the dining table and ripped off the plastic cover of the small container filled with mac and cheese. Grabbing a fork, she dove right in, not much caring that it was near frozen solid.

"Surely you could have made something better than that?"

The silverware fell from her grip, her hand coming to her chest to feel the skittering heart beneath her shirt; Bella spun around to see none other than her boyfriend, Edward. Beautiful as ever, ice cold skin sparkling in the sunlight, his golden eyes stared back at her, tinged with concern. "I'm sorry, love; did I scare you?"

Sighing in relief, Bella shook her head. "No, no. I'm fine..." Looking down, she realized she had stood up completely, and sunk back into her seat.

"Are you sure?"

Bella rolled her eyes at his worry. "_Yes_," she said.

Turning back around, Bella retrieved her fork and stabbed a piece of macaroni. Edward watched her with an odd amount of interest, which would have unnerved Bella had she not been used to her boyfriend's quirks. Before she could bring the food to her lips, the doorbell rang; "I can get it," the vampire offered, noticing the look on his girlfriend's face. "No, it's alright. I'll get it." She let out an annoyed huff as she tossed the fork on the table in frustration. It hit the wood with a bang, and her chair screeched as she stood. Bella marched to the front door and opened it forcefully, answering it with a hostile hiss. "_Yes_?"

Standing on the stoop was a man, dressed head to toe in black and a helmet clasped at his side. He smiled at her crookedly. "Well, look who it is; good ol' Bella Swan." The man looked her over, and he added: "Holy _shit_, girl, what happened to you?"

Getting over shock, she beamed. "Jason!" she screamed, forgetting her hunger and annoyance, and launched herself towards him. The man, Jason, laughed. "Good to see you, too, Bells," he said, hugging her back.

"Sorry to interrupt, but... who are you?" Edward, now standing at the shadowed doorway and taking visible care to avoid the sunlight, inquired, his nose scrunched in uncharacteristic confusion.

"Um..."

* * *

_Er... review? Please? Pretty please? _


	2. Chapter 2

~ Chapter Two ~

_Awkward_ had always been the first word to come to mind when one thought of good girl Bella Swan, right behind the word _clumsy_. She was the girl who always did her homework, never partied, didn't have sex, drink, or drive irresponsibly. She was the teacher's pet and one of the most popular girls in her small school. At first glance, many would believe her to be shallow and boring. However, unbeknownst to many in the small town of Forks, seventeen-year-old Bella Swan was infamous back in Phoenix for being the biggest bad girl in her high school. _Several _high schools, even.

Young Isabella Swan had been living the good life in Phoenix, her and her loyal circle of friends getting into trouble on a near daily basis. She had worn a buffed up leather jacket with the personalized insignia of their band _Beyond Sacred _on the back, smoked cigarettes and had owned a large, beautiful black motorcycle. _Beyond Sacred _had been an experiment; a stupid way to pass the time. Jason had brainstormed the title, and while Bella had thought it rather stupid, it had stuck. Bella was always pleased to tell everyone willing to listen that she was in a band, and how their punk rock music was _much_ better than their name. Max, barely a year her senior, used to always gripe about how much she would speak of their band, and, whenever those words were uttered, Bella would proudly retort with the fact that they wouldn't have even had their first gig had she not done so. It was thanks to her that _Beyond Sacred _was a fairly popular indie garage band. For months they had been getting weekly requests for playing at bars, clubs and parties. It had seemed as if _Beyond Sacred_ was getting the big break they had always hoped for.

Unfortunately, everything she and her friends had worked towards crumbled just as quickly as it had been built...

All with one _stupid_, simple mistake.

"Um... Jason, this is my boyfriend, Edward. Edward, this is Jason, a... old friend from Phoenix." Bella stumbled over her words, biting her lower lip awkwardly as she searched both men's expressions. Jason looked confused with his brows furrowed, while Edward's face was blank and impossible to read. "Er..." she trailed off, trying to break the silence. Feeling the hot sun on her back, Bella quickly said, "How about we head inside, hmm? I can make some... er, something." She ended lamely, combing a pale hand through her hair, remembering the lack of food; she made a mental note to tell Charlie they were out of... well, just about everything.

"Nah, that's alright, Bells - I've gotta head back to the rest of the guys; they can't wait to see you!" A grin broke out across his face, his eyes sparkling. Leaning in and giving her a quick hug, he said, "See you soon, Bella." Walking down the steps and off the stoop, Jason approached a motorcycle, painted black with their old insignia and the words _Beyond Sacred_ inscribed above it in fancy white ink. Grinning faintly at old memories, Bella waved her goodbye, watching as the man swung a leg over the bike and took his helmet before shoving it over his raven black hair.

Walking back inside and closing the door, Bella headed toward the kitchen, fully intending on finishing off the last of the mac and cheese. Edward seemed to glide beside her, not making a sound as he joined her in the cool kitchen. Sitting back down in her chair, Bella picked up her fork and continued eating, the macaroni having warmed up enough to spear. Her golden eyed mate sat beside her quietly. "Who was that, Bella? That man... he doesn't seem like a good influence." Edward told her, eyes squinted seriously.

Bella chewed as she listened, stopping dead as he finished. Frowning, she turned to face her boyfriend, not at all pleased. "What do you mean?"

Edward, half of him sparkling in the sunlight peeking past the drapes, began to speak again. He started hesitantly, as if knowing a storm was coming. "I don't feel comfortable with you being around him... I read his thoughts, Bella -"

"So, you're asking me to just abandon a friend, is that it?" Bella asked, her anger rising. Slamming her utensil down in a frustrated manner, she stood. "You're asking me to stay away from someone I've know for years - _years_ - before I met you, let alone before we even started _dating_!" Edward looked taken aback, standing as well and holding up his hands in a calming way. "Please, Bella, just listen to me -"

"You're asking me to stay away from someone I've known forever just because _you don't like them_, is that it? _Huh_? Well, it's _my_ Goddamn life, I hope you know! And that's _exactly_ how it's going to stay." Bella's face was red and her chest heaved from her outburst; fuming, she fixed her boyfriend with a piercing stare. "Get out," she ordered quietly.

"Bella -"

"I said: Get. _Out_!"

Bowing his head in surrender, Edward promptly obeyed her wishes. He pushed in his chair and walked toward another part of the house, disappearing from Bella's sight. Although she could hear nothing afterward, she knew he had escaped through the window closest to the woods.

Sighing exasperatedly, Bella slumped back down in her chair, her hunger gone; this had been the first ever fight she had had with Edward. She only hoped they were as strong a couple as she thought they were - if not, who knew how long their relationship could last. A small part of her was rather pleased with itself; after all, it was the first fight they had and she had come out victorious.

Her phone buzzed, causing Bella to jump; shock fading, she removed the phone from her jean pocket, skimming the caller ID. It was Jason. Grinning, she hit _talk_ and brought it up to her ear.

"What's up, man?" Bella asked, standing up. She walked over to the stairs, nodding her head as if the man were right in front of her. "Yeah, it's alright... No, why?" She paused at the foot of the stairs, listening intently. "No fucking way, Jace! Of course I'll be there!"

Climbing up the stairs at a slow, distracted pace, Bella continued with her conversation. "Yeah, I don't think that Edward would be too happy with me doing that... No, I am not a wuss, you take that back asshole!"

Laughing, Bella shut the door to her bedroom. Letting herself fall onto her unmade bed, phone still clutched to her ear, Bella played with her hair and listened intently to the other end of the line. Giggling at a joke Jason had cracked, Bella said, "Hey, listen dude, I gotta go - my dad's due to be home soon and I gotta clean the house. I mean, if I'm grounded, how the hell are we gonna do anything? Not that that's ever stopped me before, if you know what I mean."

A beat. "See you soon, man - oh, and say hey to the rest of the guys, alright?" She hit the _end_ button after his "will do" and goodbye, tossing the phone to the side. With a small sigh, she willed herself onward, ready to face all the chores Charlie had listed for her - knowing the band was to be reunited again made it near impossible to complain about anything. _Even_ when it came to washing dishes.

* * *

_Review, pretty please? :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Oh my God, I am soooo sorry! It's been months since I've put up a chapter! This story is NOT abandoned, as I have every intention of finishing it. So, worry not and please be patient, as I am not a fast updater. But I will say now that you won't have to wait as long for an update in the foreseeable future._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, the band The Cranberries or any of their songs. Everything you recognize belongs to their respective owners._

* * *

~ Chapter Three ~

The morning after their fight, Bella wasn't surprised to find that Edward had failed to visit during the night. If he had, he hadn't stuck around long enough for her to wake up.

It hadn't worried her much at first until she realized it was the first time Edward hadn't lovingly watched over her since they had started dating—she didn't count all the times Edward had to leave with his family to hunt; that was for her and everyone else's safety. This was because of a stupid fight, and, in return, they were both acting very immature. _Christ_, she thought. _If I'm acting immature, then he's off the charts. How old did he say he was? A hundred? Pfft. Doubtful._

After messily making her bed, Bella dressed and brushed her teeth. Downstairs, she found a note tacked on the fridge.

_Bella_

_Working. Won't be home until late. Order a pizza and don't wait up. Call me if there are any problems. Money's on the table._

_Love,_

_Dad_

She scanned it quickly. Her brown eyes darted to the table and found, just as promised, a crisp twenty dollar bill waiting for her. Tossing the note in the recycling bin below the sink, Bella opened the cupboard and grabbed the worryingly light box of cheerios. A quick look in the refrigerator confirmed her suspicions: Charlie hadn't done any shopping.

Just another chore to add to the list.

Bella ate quickly. She set the dirty dishes beside the sink carelessly and retrieved her keys. Locking the door, she headed to her truck. Again, she was painfully reminded of Edward's absence. He wasn't here to ride with her to school or kiss her good morning. It surprised her how hard it was going without him—hadn't she looked after herself for years before he came along? Even when she was dating Jason (the over controlling bastard he was) she had been just fine.

If Edward didn't apologize the next time they saw each other, she'd do it herself. It hurt her feminist pride just to think about it.

She sighed. Just another chore.

The ride to school was uneventful. Bella popped in another CD. The case read _The Cranberries_, the album titled simply _The Best Of_.

The drive to school was always a short one. Bella skipped right on ahead to her favorite song, _Zombie_. Humming to the slower tune, she turned the dial up to max, allowing the music to wash over her. She didn't particularly want to think about anything this early in the morning, anyway. If she were back in Phoenix, she'd dump school just like that. Her mother would be devastated, that much was a given—she could see it already: Charlie would be shaking his head disappointedly, having given up on arguing with her decision long ago. Her poor, scatterbrained mother, Renée, would be on the verge of crying. She did that a lot.

Bella sang along with the music, mumbling when she got distracted by the road or couldn't make out the words. Tapping the top of the steering wheel rhythmically, she let her mind wander.

When she had still lived in Phoenix and the band had still been together, Beyond Sacred covered all sorts of songs for a party at their school. The most popular guy at school (the quarterback, Darren Grant, and son of the mayor) had offered a hefty price for a decent band to play at his a-list get together. Phoenix was short of decent music, there was no doubt about that, so, against his better judgment, Darren had sucked it up and asked them to play. Jason had been prepared to say no as soon as the gorilla-like football player had meandered over to their table (which usually translated to something along the lines of "Fuck off, asshole"), but Bella (ever the genius) hadn't given him the chance.

_"What do you want, Grant?" she had asked, not overly polite, but a far cry from the ways of her counterpart._

_Darren had given her a steely glare. "I'm having a party tomorrow—"_

_"Aw, and you wanted to make sure we weren't being left out? That's so sweet!" Bella interrupted, smiling in fake surprise and sentiment. "Darren, I'm flattered."_

_"Let me just get this over with, Swan." He spat out her name as though it were something foul. "I need you to play at my party tonight. I've heard you're... decent." The words looked painful, as though they were torture to draw from his mouth. While their respective groupings weren't enemies, they weren't very friendly with each other. To say that the emo-punks they were identified as were actually good at something was sure to hurt his pride—something that Bella and her friends would nearly kill to see._

_Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully, still playing along. "Hmm. How's about no." She said, dropping the façade. "What could you possibly do for us in exchange for this little favor?"_

_Darren scowled. "I'm prepared to pay you." Wow. He really is desperate, Bella thought, a little shocked. But if he was willing to actually pay them for their services... Well, she'd have to be stupid to say no. Or be Jason._

_"How much?"_

_"Hundred and fifty."_

_"Two hundred." Bella stifled a smile at Darren's face; his cheeks were red with fury—even if they didn't get paid as much as they would have liked she'd likely still say yes. It was payment enough just watching how many hues Darren's face could turn._

_"Hundred seventy-five," he said grudgingly. His fists were curled tight in barely concealed anger; if she wasn't careful she'd end up with a black eye. Best not push him too far._

_"Deal." She held out her hand with a forced smile. Darren stared at her for a moment before holding out his arm and grasping her hand in turn. "Thanks, Swan."_

_"No prob," she smirked. They hadn't bothered saying their goodbyes anymore than that and turned to go their separate ways._

Shaking her head to clear it, Bella pulled into the school parking lot. Memories like those were painful, a memento of what could have been had she not been so stupid. She tried not to think about Phoenix. With Jason and the gang here, it would be so much harder.

School was a bore, as usual. She pretended to listen and do the work, but the most Bella could accomplish were scribbles of band equipment and musical notes. It was only because of her charm and previous dedication to their classes that she avoided suspicion and detention. Bella assumed her teachers all thought her doodles were notes on math and science. Pfft. As if. Pretending to work hard was already too much work as it was.

When lunch came around, she gathered her things and made her way to the lunch room. Walking past a window she could see the dark clouds looming in the sky above Forks, Washington. The town had been in perpetual gloom (as usual) for a couple weeks now, raining for the majority of the time. There was a slight drizzle tapping against the window pane.

The lunch room was only half full by the time she got there, a buzz of conversation in the background. Her eyes scoured the circular tables, hoping to find the familiar and ethereally beautiful faces of her boyfriend's family. She couldn't; if the sun had been visible in the sky, she would have thought them to be hunting. But it wasn't.

Maybe Edward's avoiding me, she thought. Try as she might she really couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. However, Bella knew for a fact she'd be undeniably pissed later. The fucker. That was the most anger she could muster.

She got her food and sat down at an empty corner table. Rain was pouring down now, hitting heavily against the window beside her. All Bella really wanted at the moment was to be back in her bed, maybe reading a book and listening to blaring music on her iPod. That, or a bar of chocolate. Chocolate made everything better.

Bella ate slowly and quietly, her head propped up against her bent arm. Her mind wandered, sifting through old memories. Her previous claim to never think about Phoenix was clearly not working; she'd just have to accept that.

There was a tap on her shoulder. She looked around, frowning. No one was there. "Never thought you'd be one to fall for that trick, Bells!"

She whipped her head around the other way and froze. "_Jason_?" Jason grinned, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "Not just me," he said. She stood and fixed her gaze on the man behind him.

"Max?" The man on Jason's left grinned wider, raising his arms for a hug. Bella gladly complied, rushing to him and burying her face in his chest. His blue eyes looked down at her fondly, his head resting atop hers. "God, I've missed you," she muttered, her words muffled by Max's shirt.

"What about me?" another voice said. She froze again, and her eyes flew open. Gabe? The name was painful, even to think. It hurt her even more to hear his voice. "Don't I get a hug?" His voice was steely, a little cold with anger. She guessed it was too much to hope he had forgiven her. It was because of her, after all, that everything went south. All because of one _stupid, simple mistake..._


End file.
